The biggest prayer gathering of Catholics & Protestants in Santa Rosa ever! The event will celebrate the virtue of Hope in the midst of suffering and the promise of resurrection. The one-hour prayer service will reflect on the Psalms and conclude with the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a short time of music and fellowship. First responders and those who have suffered in any way will be recognized. No one will be forgotten in the wake of our tragedy.

On Sunday October 7th the Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in partnership with varied Christian churches in the Santa Rosa area will host a prayer gathering at Cardinal Newman High School (one of the schools devastated by the fires). The gathering will include thousands of Christians from a multitude of area churches, as well as first responders and survivors. The event will celebrate the virtue of Hope in the midst of suffering and the promise of resurrection.

Event organizer Stephen Morris said “our main goal is to pray with our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, stand in solidarity with our fellow citizens who have suffered great loss, and to pray together for hope and healing.”

Neighborly events like this are what the Sonoma County Office of Recovery and Resiliency envision as one of a number of goals identified by the office at its inception last December. A week after the fires that ravaged the Sonoma County community, nine local pastors who had each lost their homes in the fire, gathered in prayer and solidarity with a large crowd from various denominations.

Many of those pastors will gather again, this time in the strength that comes from faithfulness in numbers. And Hope. The one-hour prayer service will conclude with the Lord’s Prayer. This is a time of prayer when we especially recognize those who have suffered in any way, and those who have lost a great deal, for they are not forgotten.